Mephed-Up

There isn't much that scares me. I sleep in the dark, eat raw fish and once punched a bloke - deservedly, I should add - in the face. Hard.

I primarily put this down to a warped sense of realism, meaning I often find myself in situations thinking: "What's the worst that could happen?", like some sort of Dr. Pepper mantra.

Let me put this into metaphorical practice.

Were a man to coerce his way into my house hellbent on stealing, raping, killing or otherwise annoying me, my family or their possessions you'd expect survival mode to kick in. Not me. My distorted mindset dictates that I would be hoping that the trespasser had politely removed his shoes upon entry.

To me a hacked throat would by far outweigh the inconvenience arduousness of removing mud stains from Mum's beige carpet.

Exception to this affliction is the controversy-mire that are legal highs. My inclinations on the rising popularity of these drugs are crystal clear, set in stone, mounted on my mantlepiece because of one night last year.

Looking for a cheap, hassle free night away from the bright lights of town, me and friends settled for a night on the sofa's rather than the tiles.

A few of the lads had been talking about something called Space-E, which I now know is one of the ridiculous pseudonyms for the increasingly popular party-drug Mephedrone.

Sold online and over the counter at head shops, Mephedrone, or Meow Meow as it is now commonly known, can be purchased for as little as £10 a gramme and gives users a feeling of euphoria.

Unbeknownst to me It is currently legal for sale in the UK, though not for human consumption, but calls are being made to outlaw the substance in the wake of a number of deaths related to the drug.

Mephedrone is reported to induce amphetamine-style euphoria in combination with mental and physical stimulation, feelings of empathy and increased talkativeness. Physical changes can include dilated pupils, sweating, raised temperature, increased heart rate and high blood pressure.

Side-effects of the drug can include anxiety, depression, nose bleeds,nausea and vomiting. Police have also reported some users have stopped breathing, following a collapse caused by the drug, and user accounts tell of a sharp, depressing comedown and overwhelming feelings of anxiety.

I remember thinking that for a tenner and with no legislative restrictions this stuff, this 'Plant Food', was cheap and legal. A bit like good porn.

After an anxious ten minutes during which I felt like a Huntingdon Life Science experiment, I became totally overwhelmed both physically, from head to toe, and mentally. I could feel blood pumping through my veins like express trains. Everything became clear, my head had opened, my body in awe of, well, everything. I unashamedly, and looking back now, quite pathetically, admitted that I'd never felt so incredibly alive.

This feeling lasted for about an hour after which I came crashing back to normality with my head feeling as though I'd slammed it against a wall. Something that subsequently I wished I'd rather opted for. I felt low, scummy and tainted - a feeling that, to my horror, lasted days. Legal or not, I'd just harmed myself in ways I didn't know.

Mephedrone, like any drug, is dangerous but perhaps the most discernible concern with this drug is the lack of knowledge about what it does to you. Mephedrone was introduced into this country in 2007 and its stratospheric rise in popularity has caught both medics and the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs off guard.

One user who admitted himself to hospital after binging on Meow Meow described petrified doctors unwilling to administer medical procedures for fear of causing a reaction with the substance.

"I was left sitting in the corridor, sweat pouring out of me and my heart smashing against my chest. They thought I was going to die," he said.

But despite the news headlines and government proposals to classify Mephedrone as a class B drug, use of the substance is still on the rise.

A regular user put it this way: "It doesn't matter whether it's legal or not, there'll be an alternative out in months that people will start using.
"I've noticed changes in people who do it all the time but they'll still crack on with it."

This is perhaps the most shocking detail of the rise of Mephedrone, that the consequences of this drug become very much a secondary consideration to a night out.

And that is very scary.